The Pentagon is aiming to increase the pressure on ISIS in Syria and Iraq by supporting local forces with additional airstrikes and occasional ground support, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter told lawmakers on Tuesday.
The changes to the Obama administration's anti-ISIS strategy are intended be more militarily aggressive in order to break the stalemate that forces fighting the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq have reached, according to Business Insider.
"The changes we're pursuing can be described by what I call the 'three R's': Raqqa, Ramadi, and Raids," Carter said in testimony today before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The first "R" is aimed at retaking Raqqa, Syria, from the militants who have made the area their de facto capital. Carter said he intends to realize this goal through train-and-equip programs for Syrian rebels and Kurdish groups, as well as increased airstrikes, according to The Hill.
"While the old approach was to train and equip completely new forces outside of Syria before sending them into the fight, the new approach is to work with vetted leaders of groups that are already fighting ISIL, and provide equipment and some training to them and support their operations with airpower," he said.
The second "R" is for taking back Ramadi, the capital of the Anbar province in Iraq, which was captured by ISIS earlier this year. While Iraqi forces prepare to retake the city, Carter stated, "we are willing to continue providing more enabling capabilities and fire support to help our Iraqi partners succeed."
He admitted, however, that the Iraqi government and security forces would need to take specific steps to militarily ensure progress sticks, reported ABC News. That progress would include better leadership, multi-sectarian governance, and Baghdad granting rights to Sunni tribes engaged in anti-ISIS operations.
The final "R" stands for more raids, either by "supporting capable partners in opportunistic attacks against ISIL, or conducting such missions directly, whether by strikes from the air or direct action on the ground."
Marine Corp Gen. Joseph Dunford testified alongside Cater, saying that putting U.S. troops with Iraqi forces could ensure logistics effectiveness and boost intelligence awareness, according to Reuters.
A raid against ISIS last week, in which U.S. forces advised Kurdish forces, resulted in the death of an U.S. soldier and the rescue of around 70 hostages, as previously reported by HNGN.
"If it had an operational or strategic impact and we could reinforce success, that would be the basic framework within which I'd make a recommendation for additional forces to be co-located with Iraqi units," Dunford said.
